Start of Blackwater biotope

[Rhyno8]

Hey everyone this is my first time doing a scaped tank working on a Blackwater set up for my wild discus currently just some tannins, driftwood and oak leaves. I’ll be collecting some more botanicals and a few river stones to add. Also some pothos to grow from the top still a work in progress.
Tank dimensions are 120” long by 36”wide by 34” high. I’ve darkened the water since these photos I’ll get some updated ones soon.

 

[Ogertron3000]

Looks Great, are you getting anymore fish or just sticking with the discus?

 

[scones7]

Love a discus natural/blackwater tank, I think they look kind of freakish in well-lit austere settings, too much like a showpiece for me. Getting the water clarity right where you want it is a journey, love to see any progress.

 

[FJB]

Love those green wilds. Awesome tank. Once the Pothos grow on the mesh you are providing, it would look spectacular.

I have for years been using a lot of dry Magnolia grandifolia leaves in all my tanks. They come from a tree in my backyard.
Unlike what I hear people do, I don't use them in any attempts of lowering pH, or modifying hardness. Rather, I like the color they give the water (and think the fish prefer it too), the fish like to play amongst them and browse off them, and they contribute toward making a more natural (forest stream-like) habitat.

 

[Rhyno8]

Looks Great, are you getting anymore fish or just sticking with the discus?

Discus will be the centrepiece hopefully get more when the scapes finished. There’s also 10 corydora sterbai and Venezuelan orange Cory in there 10 black neon tetras and 10 regular neons the tetras and Cory use the leaf litter a lot always hiding away or foraging it’s interesting to watch.

 

[Rhyno8]

Think I’ve settled on the darker tint. Hunting more driftwood at the minute have another bag of dried leaves but will wait I think.

 

[duanes]

Beautiful biotope.

 

[Rhyno8]

Few photos of the inhabitants tonight, haven’t been able to capture the corydora or tetras way too fast. Filtration is a hybrid Hamburg matten filter to a pressure filter hooked up to an 80watt hi output uv.

 

[alyciagordan]

Thank you so much, Looks fantastic

 

[Hybridfish7]

Good choice on stock.